Automatic stop device for automobiles



' Dec. 27, 1927.

acumsrsmszu ET AL V 1653945 AUTOMATIC. STOP DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 25. 1925 .2 17: 0-1.

INVENTOR. HARRY E. C'HR/STENSEN. JOHN L. LOEHN/S.

j wwm A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 27, I927.

UNITED'STATES PATENT o 1,653,945 Fries.

HARRY E. CHRISTENSEN AND JOHN L- LOEHNIQ OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA; SAID LOEI-INIS ASSIG-NORTO SAID CHRISTENSEN.

AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

application filed April 26, 1926. Serial No. 104,857.

This invention relates to an impact actuated stop mechanism for motor vehicles and the like, whereby a vehicle is automatically brought to a stop after collision with anothervehicle, a pedestrian or the like.

The object of the present invention. is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of the character described; to provide a mechanism Y which may be actuated either by the bumper or the fenders of a vehicle, and which is so i which-- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front end of a motor vehicle showing the applica= tion of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal section. of a part of the mechanism, showingit connected with the carbureter of amotor vehicle. i i p Fig. 3 is a perspective view of. a part of the mechanism which will hereinafter be described. p v i Referring to thedrawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1-, 2 and 3, A indicates the main frame of a motor vehicle, B the motor, 0 the carburetor, andD the inlet manifold. The carburete'r is more particularly shown in Fig. 2. By referring to this figure it will be noted that it is provided with an ordinary throttle valve control, such as indicated at 2, and it will further be noted that it is provided with a secondary throttle valve indicated by dotted lines at 3. This secondary throttle valve will hereinafter he referred to as the stop valve and its function will also be laterdescribed.

The valve 3, like the throttle valve, is an ordinary type of butterfly valve. It is mounted on'a shaft 4 and this shaft is pro;

vided with. a crankarm 5 which in turn is 1 connected with a link 6. The stop valve 3 is interpcsed between the carbureter and the inlet manifold, as shown, and it serves the function of completely cutting ofi the gas supply to the manifold and the motor when thrown into operation.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will benoted that the frame is provided with an ordinary bumper E andthe usual type of front wheel fenders, as indicated at F. i 1 The purpose of the present invention, as briefly stated in the preamble, is to provide a mechanism whereby the stop valve 3 is automatically thrown to closed position when an object is encountered or struck with sufficient force to cause deflection or bending of the fenders or the bumper. anism will now be described.

By referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that a bracket member G is employed, this being supported adjacent the carbureter by means of a plate or the like as indicated at 7. The member G is angleshaped. Its

upper surface is provided with a. plurality of channels or grooves, as indicated at 8, and similar grooves 9 are formed inthe rear surface. Slidably mounted inthe upper grooves 8 are latching members 10. There is one latch in each groove and 'asthey are all identical in shape and construction a brief description of one shouldsuflice.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the latch consists of an elongated bar ivhich terminates ina hook member 11. It is provided with an upturned lug 12, adja cent the hook, and the opposite end is per-'1 forated as at 13 to receive a cable oa'l'ink 14. upper face of the bracket member G and the latch members are thus held against accidental removal. The forward end of the cover carries lugs 16 which extend down into the respective grooves 8. Springs 17 are in terposed between the lugs '16 and 12 of the respective latches and tlie t-ension of the springs is such as .to' normally force the latches in the direction of arrows at. The latches are, however, held against such movement by means of the cables 14. Two of the cables. such as indicated are and A cover member 15 is secured to the 7 14*, are attached to opposite ends of the bumpers and the/other two cables indicated at i l? and 14* are attached to the outer ends of the front fenders, suitableguidepulleys suchas indicated at 18, 19 and 20 being em.- ployed to guide the cables to tlieir respc etive points. The cables are. permanently at tached at their outer ends to the respective members, such as the bumpers and the fenders, and they accordingly hold the latches 10 against the tension of the springs 17. a

It was already stated that the rear face of the bracket member G was also grooved,

as indicated at 9. These grooves also con-' is provided with a lag 23 and the latches are retained against removalin the grooves by means of a cover plate 24. The upper end of this cover plate carries lugs 25 which extend into the respective grooves and helical compression springs 26 are'placed in the respective grooves between the lugs 23 and 25, and the tendency is. therefore, to push the latches 21 downwardly in the grooves in the direction of arrow b.

The link 6, which is connected to the crank arm 50f the stop valve 3, is normally held in elevated position where valve 3 is completely opened by means of a spring or the like, such as indicated at 27. The lower end of the link carries a bucket-shaped member 28. This bucket-shaped member is dis posed below the lower ends of the latches 21, so that if one or more of the latches 21 are released and forced downwardly by means of the tension of the springs 26, a downward movement will be transmitted to the link 6 and the crank arm 5 will thus be rocked to swing the valve 3 to closed position; The latches 1O and21 have a limited movement as-the inner end of the cover plate 15 is provided with a downturned flange 15 which engages the lugs 12 and thereby limits the movement of the latches 10. i The lower end ofthe cover me1nber24l is similarlyprovided with an inturned flange 24 and this limits the downward movement of the latches 21. The movement transmitted to the latches 10 is, however, sufiicient to bring the hook-shaped members out of engagement withthe upper ends 22 of the latches 21, so thatthe latches 21 may be released and projected in a downward direction by the springs 26. The downward movement of the latches 21 is in turn sufiicient to impart the proper movement to the link 6 and the crank arm 5 or, in other words, sufficient movement to permit complete closing of the stop valve 3.

The main purpose of the'present inven tion is to stop reckless drivers from escaping whenthey have been the cause of an accident. Such drivers are usually referred to as hit and run, slautoists, etc, and ifautomobile-swere all equipped with a device such as here shown, drivers of that character would never escape.

To clearly prove the statement, let us cansider that a careless driver strikes another machine, for instance, with the bumper E. The impact under such conditions should be sufficient to cause compression of the bumper or bending thereof. This causes either of the cables 14: or 1 t or both, to slackcn and springs 17 will thus be permitted to exert their pressure to move the latches 10 rearwardly sufficient distance to release the latches 21. These in turawhen released strike the bottomof the bucket 28 and thereby pull'the link6 in a downward direction and causes complete closing of the valve 3.

The gas supply from the carbureter to the motor is thus completely out off "and the motor and the vehicle will come to a stop. A would be hit and run driver will thus be prevented from escaping, as it would take sometime to re-set the latches so as to permit opening of thestop valve 3. If the impact during the collision were severe, the tender or the bumper would be so badly bent that it would be almost impossible to straighten them sufficiently to permitthe latches to be returned to normal interlocking position, and so much time would at least be lost if the driver should try to es- ."7

cape that the injuredparty or witnesses would have an opportunity to get the number of the machine, etc.

If a careless driver should strike another machine or a pedestrian with one offlthe fenders'only, the fender would bend inwardly and the slack in the cable connected therewith would become suilicient to release one of a cooperating set of latches 1.0 and 21. The vehicle would accordingly be brought to a stop if an object were hit with either fender, or by either end of the bumpcror by the bumper as a whole, and the careless driver would have a comparatively small chance of escaping, as the motor would become dead and the vehicle would be brought to a complete stop in any instance. a

In the present instancewe have shown the device as attached to thefrontbumper and fenders only. It is obvious that it may be attached to a rear bumper and fender if desired, as it would also in that instance serve a useful function. For instance, it has often been observed that adriver in turning out from the sidewalk, where several cars are parked in line, usually must back up and then go ahead one or more times before the front wheels of his vehicle will clear the vehicle in front. Under such conditions a driver often has a tendencyrto back into the car in back of him and may dama e itsfifenders, headlights, ear It hewshould back into anothercar while equipped with the mechanism here shown, his own car would be stopped andknowing this he would it f] be exceedingly careful in backing up, there Patent is-- anyone of which is adapted to close the.

valve, a plurality of latches normally maintaining the plungers in a position where the a valve may remain open, a pair offenders and a bumper on the vehicle, a connection between each latch and the tenders and bumper, said connections normally maintaining the latches in looking engagement with the plungers, said means also releasing one or more of the latches when the vehicle strikes an object with suflicient impact to bend the fenders or the bumper, thereby releasing one or more of the plungers and closing the valve.

2. The combination with the carbureter and motor of a motor driven vehicle, of a valve interposed between the carburetor and the motor, means normally maintaining said valve in an open position, fenders on the vehicle, a bumper on the vehicle, a latchsupporting housing positioned adjacent the valve, a latch in said housing, a connection between the latch and the valve, means normally maintaining the latch in a retracted position and the valve in an open position, and means whereby the latch is automatically projected and the valve closed when the vehicle strikes an object with sufficient impact to bend the tenders or the bumper.

3. The combination with the carbureter and motor of a motor driven vehicle, of a valve interposed between the carburetor and the motor, means normally maintaining said valve in an open position, fenders on the vehicle, a bumper on the vehicle, a latch-supporting housing positioned adjacent the valve, a plurality of latches mounted in said housing, a connection between the latches and the valve, a flexible connection between each latch, the bumper and the tenders, normally maintaining the latches in a retracted position and the valve inv an open position, and means whereby one or more of the latches are automatically projected and the valve closed -when the vehicle strikes an object with sufiicient impact to bend the tenders or the bumper.

4. The combination with the carbureter and motor of a motor driven vehicle, of a valve interposed between the carbureter and the motor, means normally maintaining said valve in an open position, fenders on the vehicle, a bumper on the vehicle, a latchsupporting housing positioned adjacent the valve, a plurality of latches mounted in said housing, a flexible connection between each latch, the bumper and the fenders normally maintaining the latches in a retracted position, a pluralityof secondary latches also mounted in the housing and'normally maintained in a retracted position by means of the first-namedv latches, a crank arm on the valve, a link connected therewith, a bucket on the link disposed in alignment with the secondary latches, and means whereby one or more of the first-named latches are automatically projected to release one or more of the secondary latches when the vehicle strikes an object with sufficient impact to bend the tenders or the bumper, saidseconda-ry latches when released engaging the bucket and imparting a movement to the link to close the valve.

HARRY CHRISTENSEN. JOHN L. LOEHNIS. 

